1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hypodermic syringes, and in particular, to a universal syringe ideally suited for emergency use situations where the speed of assembling of the sterile components parts is critical.
2. Background of the Invention
The prior art abounds with designs for hypodermic syringes and needle assemblies, particularly of the type wherein the medicament retaining vial is inserted into one end of a syringe barrel and a transfer-needle assembly. The syringe plunger urges the vial against the needle piercing portion of the transfer needle and permits the medicament to flow from the vial to the needle piercing assembly and transfer needle. This type of arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,229 issued to Raines, et al on May 20, 1975. The medicament holding vial disclosed therein has a plunger proof seal on one end thereof and a piercable seal on the other end and is positioned so that the piercing needle is accurately aligned to the center of the seal while the other end is provided with a plunger with which the user provides the necessary pressure to force the vial against the piercing needle, thereby, permitting the medicament, once the seal in the valve is pierced, to communicate through the needle piercing aperture to the transfer needle and, thus into the patient.
Another syringe utilizing a pre-filled vial which has one end of the vial sealed by means of a rubber diaphragm and the other end thereof sealed by a stopper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,044 issued to Meierhoefer on Nov. 2, 1976. A needle hub assembly associated with the vial is used to pierce the stopper, thereby permitting the medicament contained within the vial to communicate with the transfer needle, and thus, into the patient.
The shortcomings of the prior art devices are overcome by the instant invention since the instant invention uilizes a vial which is identical on both ends and may be used interchangably, thereby providing rapid assembly of a completed syringe for use in emergency situations.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a universal syringe the elements of which are sterile and may be rapidly assembled in emergency situations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal syringe which includes a vial that contains a liquid medicament and is identical on each end thereof.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal syringe for the application of liquid medicaments wherein the vial is adapted to receive the needle assembly in one end thereof and is adapted to receive the piston rod in the other end thereof. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal syringe which utilizes the piston rod to store the needle assembly prior to use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal syringe wherein the protective cap includes a piercing needle adapted to be received by the piston seal and the other end includes a micropore filter and is adapted to receive a needle for insertion into a patient.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.